1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for realizing a photographic printer (or photoprinter) that is adapted to produce an index print of information representing a plurality of images inputted from an image input device, for example, a digital camera, on, for instance, a single sheet of printing paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, digital cameras have come into wide use. As a simple means for printing and outputting pictures taken by digital cameras, there have been proposed photoprinters adapted so that image data is inputted thereto by connecting digital cameras directly thereto or by setting a storage medium, which stores image data representing pictures taken by digital cameras. Further, some of these proposed photoprinters include the function of forming an index print of image data, which are stored in a digital camera connected thereto or in a storage medium set therein, on, for example, a sheet of printing paper so that pictures represented by the image data are printed thereon in a small size. Such an index print permits users to check a plurality of images at a time, and facilitates selection of one of the pictures.
However, in the case of using such conventional photoprinters, the order in which pictures are printed on an index print sheet depends on numbers respectively assigned to the pictures in a digital camera or a storage medium, and is, for instance, a photographing order. Thus, the conventional photoprinters have the following drawbacks.
Namely, in the case of producing an index print which is a single print composed of a plurality of pictures of print sizes of different aspect ratios, such as a normal size and a panorama size, when these pictures are arranged and printed in the order of the aforementioned number assigned to each thereof, a result of producing the index print is obtained as illustrated in FIG. 6. Namely, 4 pictures, whose print sizes are a normal size or a panorama size, are arranged on each line or row. Incidentally, a number assigned to each of the pictures is a picture number. Among these pictures, the print size of pictures Nos. 4', 10', 13' and 15' is the panorama size. However, as is seen from the resultant index print illustrated in FIG. 6, the conventional photoprinter produces an index print which excels in the indexing ability but has a defect in that pictures of a panorama size are small and are difficult to view.
Turning to FIG. 7, there is shown an index print produced by enlarging a picture of a panorama size so that the longitudinal dimension of the panorama size is equal to the longitudinal dimension of a normal size. Although pictures of the panorama size in this case are easy to view, only one picture of the panorama size can be placed on a row. Thus, a line feed (operation) is forcibly performed each time a picture of the panorama size is printed. This results in a large wasteful or useless space on a sheet of printing paper. Thus the appearance of the index print is poor. Moreover, printing paper is wasted.
The present invention is directed to eliminating the aforementioned drawbacks of the conventional photoprinter.